A Classroom Management Plan That Works In his book, Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys To Creativity, Hugh MacLeod points out that Abraham Lincoln penned the Gettysburg Address on borrowed stationary. Hemingway wrote with a simple fountain pen. Van Gogh rarely used more than six colors on his palate. And MacLeod, himself an artist, sketches cartoons on the back of business cards. His point is that there is zero correlation between creative talent and the materials and equipment used. The same can be said about an effective classroom management plan. A simple set of rules and consequences hand-printed on ordinary poster board is all you need. You see… There is no magic in the plan itself. Therefore your plan doesn’t need to be elaborate, complex, or involved. It just needs to be followed. A Classroom Management Plan Is A Contract A classroom management plan is a contract you make with your students that promises you will protect their right to learn and enjoy school without interference. 1. 2. That’s it. Rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. Consequences:
7 First Day of School Activities Students Love The first day of school will be here before you know it. Most teachers face the big day with enthusiasm, but they dread the inevitable challenge: what to do on the first day of school. Every teacher’s approach is different. Whatever your goal, here are a few things to try to get the school year off to a great start! Goal: Getting to Know Your Students How well will your incoming students know you? If you’re teaching kindergarteners (or high school freshmen, who often seem like kindergarteners), you may need to spend the first day – or the first several days –getting everyone comfortable. Teaching strategies for improving friendship skills at the elementary school... The School of Education at Gardner-Webb University has received national... We examine the classroom management characteristics of effective teachers. A few useful classroom management ways to get information from your students on... 7 great technology in the classroom apps to use this year. Plan a Scavenger Hunt Do a Self-Portrait
Global Food Disparity: A Photo Diary In an increasingly globalized world, it’s still sometimes shocking to see just how disparate our lives are compared with other human beings around the world. A book of photographs by Peter Menzel called "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" ("©Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com. Ten Speed Press, published in 2005) makes a relevant point with great irony: at a time when hundreds of millions of people don't have enough to eat, hundreds of millions more are eating too much and are overweight or obese. In observing what six billion eat for dinner the authors note, "Today, more people are overweight than underweight." It is these cultural differences, emphasized and reinforced by the author, which exemplifies the lifestyles and dietary habits of people around the world. You can buy the book here. Meet the The Manzo family of Sicily. Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07.
Fostering Relationships in the Classroom Students and teacher need to develop positive and trusting relationships in an effective classroom. It is also critical that all students, especially English-language learners, develop trusting and enriching relationships with each other. There are many activities which can be used for both introductory purposes and throughout the year to build and maintain positive relationships in the classroom. 1) Sharing Weekly Reflections Each week, we have students write about two positive events that occurred in their lives and one not-so-positive event (along with what they could have done to make it better or what they learned from it). 2) Introducing Me/3 Objects This activity is sometimes called a "Me Bag" or an "All About Me Bag." 3) "I Am" Project There are many variations of the "I Am" activity. 4) "Find Someone in this Class Who . . . " Scavenger Hunt A scavenger hunt is an easy way to get students out of their seats, talking and interacting within minutes! 5) Two Truths and a Lie
I Love That Teaching Idea! How To Handle Misbehavior The First Two Weeks Of School Your new students will likely be on their best behavior for the first few days of school. But by the second week, you and your classroom management plan will be tested. After all, your students don’t really know you. Maybe you’ll be like the pushover teacher they had last year. Maybe you’ll be inconsistent or easy to fluster. Maybe you won’t really mean what you say. Maybe some of your students have never had firm boundaries. And because you haven’t spent enough time with your students to earn their confidence, you’re going to be tested. But when it happens, when Anthony says something crude to try to shock you, when Karla talks back and disrespects you, when your students interrupt you, ignore you, and misbehave three feet in front of you… You’ll be ready. Here’s what to do: Pause. Your first reaction to misbehavior should be no reaction. Hide your disappointment. Never show hurt over misbehavior or disrespect. Lose the battle. Follow through. Move on immediately. Don’t take it personally.
33 Ways to Start the First Year Off Right From the Virginia Education Association A little planning before school begins can pay big dividends throughout the school year. Starting off on the right foot can make all the difference. Here are some things to consider as you plan for the months ahead. Check them off as you go. ____1. ____2. ____3. ____4. ____5. ____6. ____7. ____8. ____9. ____10. ____11. ____12. ____13. ____14. ____15. ____16. ____17. ____18. ____19. ____20. ____21. ____22. ____23. ____24. ____25. ____26. ____27. ____28. ____29. ____30. ____31. ____32. ____33. Source: Adapted from 33 Ways to Start the First Year Off Right, Virginia Education Association, 2002.
Students Tell All: What It’s Like to Be Trusted Partners in Learning Inquiry-based learning is not a new pedagogy, but it has come back into fashion in progressive education circles recently because of new emphasis on the power of students’ innate curiosity to drive learning. Inquiry-based learning asks students to discover knowledge on their own with guidance from their teachers. Rather than receiving information up front through lectures, students research guiding questions, ask their own follow-ups and get help along the way. Learning through inquiry requires more student agency and demands that teachers and administrators trust that students will ask when they need help. It also places the responsibility for completing tasks and meeting deadlines on the shoulders of students. Science Leadership Academy students spoke about their learning experience at the school. Nomi Martin-Brouilette said she appreciates the trust SLA’s teachers place in students to be partners in their learning. All photos by Bailey Collins Katrina Schwartz
Tips for Teaching Wikis: How I explain it to students I just sent this out to the Digiteen group and thought some of you working with wikis might like a few tips. (My students do call me the "wikinator" ;-)) Just a tip -- To get started, I always break it down for the kids. I explain it like this. Students, when we have a wiki, there are two phases: content creation and content editing and refinement. 1) Content Creation If the page is blank that is where we are now. Remember, that what you say should have citations by linking to the item on the Internet. Remember that when you come to class you should first: check the discussion tab and RESPOND - people feel ignored if no one responds - even if you agree or say "hi" - they know you're there -- the most motivated teams and best wikis have good "Web 2.0 leaders" who engage with their partners by responding. In about 3- 4 days we'll see that we're getting a lot on the page. 2) Content editing and refinement Here is where you ask these questions as you edit: a) Are all sources cited?
Handling Difficult Students The First Week Of School Hoping to head misbehavior off before it starts, most teachers try to be proactive with difficult students. Even before the bell rings on the first day of school, they peruse their new roster looking for those few whose reputation precedes them. They chat up previous teachers. They scrutinize student files. They nervously begin conjuring up creative ways of dealing with them—all before they even set foot in the classroom. And so when Anthony or Karla or whoever shows up for the first day of school, they can feel the bull’s-eye on their back. They can feel labeled right out of the gate. And when students feel labeled, they’re pulled inexorably in its direction—fulfilling the prophecy it foretells. To ensure this doesn’t happen on your watch, and to get your reputed difficult students headed in the right direction, it’s best to make them feel like just another member of your classroom. Here’s how: 1. 2. Kids are smarter than most adults give them credit for. 3. 4. 5. One Standard
13 trucos para exprimir al máximo Google Reader Hace unas semanas que me propuse cambiar NetNewsWire por Google Reader como mi lector favorito de feeds RSS. Lo cierto es que en el pasado lo había intentado tres o cuatro veces, y todas con idéntico resultado: al final siempre terminaba por volver a NetNewsWire. Pero ahora parece que no va a ser así. El haber tenido “éxito” en esta ocasión creo que se ha debido a una perogrullada de la que muchas veces nos olvidamos: para disfrutar de una aplicación y sacarle el máximo partido hay que conocerla bien, a fondo. 1Aprende los atajos de teclado más importantes Al igual que Gmail, Google Reader se maneja por completo con el teclado. Aprender cinco o seis combinaciones de teclado multiplicará nuestra productividad Teclas N/P para avanzar y retroceder por las entradas de un feed sin abrirlas. 2Filtra mediante la lectura rápida y los “Elementos destacados” Todos tenemos más feeds de los que materialmente podemos leer. Los “Elementos destacados” son clave para no perdernos los mejores posts